Posted on 01/07/2005 4:22:14 AM PST by rdb3
I am overwhelmed with sadness over the state of the Muslim world. I am looking at the photograph of an Iranian woman about to be stoned to death in Iran, buried to her waste in dirt to keep her from running away.
A few weeks ago, I read about a 14 year-old Iranian boy who died after receiving 85 lashes for the ‘sin’ of eating in public in the month of Ramadan. Salah Uddin Choudhury has been in prison for one year in Bangladesh for the ‘crime’ of urging his nation to recognize Israel and advocating interfaith dialogue among equals as well as warning against the growing power of Islamists in Bangladesh.
What are Muslim community activists in America doing about their homegrown brutal human rights violations? They are silent.
The picture of the stoned woman has been seen by some Muslims I know in the Middle East and also fellow Americans, Christians and Jews. The first reaction by the Muslims was “what did she do?” while the first reaction by Americans was “How could this happen?”
The Muslim majority here in the US remains silent seeing the outrageous brutal medieval-style and inhumane punishments practiced in many parts of the Muslim world. Americans, who are puzzled by the silence of the so called “moderate” Arab-Americans after 9/11, do not understand that Arabs learned to be silent and indifferent to terror before even coming to America. Generations after generations of Muslims lived under dictatorships and were trained to look the other way when Muslims tortured and terrorized other Muslims. The result is a population de-sensitized to seeing brutality and horror. Too many of them see cruel punishment as normal. Their silence over the killing was not just an insult to America after 9/11, but is aiding and abetting the cruel culture of hate, terror, torture and beheadings.
Arab men, known for ‘machismo’, are doing nothing while watching such horrible injustice happen to their women and children. There is no uprising by Arab women over the inhumanity and cruelty their sisters in Islam are suffering. “She must have done something really bad!” one Muslim woman said to me after seeing the picture. By that, she of course meant having sex outside of marriage. 2000 years after Christianity abandoned stoning as a form of punishment, Islam still continues to practice it.
Even Muslim groups who live with Western freedoms are not making a strong stand to stop this cruel practice. There is a petition being circulated on the Internet by mostly non-Muslim or former Muslim groups to save the life of yet another Iranian woman from being stoned to death. On the other hand, many Muslim women in America, all the while enjoying Western freedoms, are busy covering their ankles, complaining about the French law against wearing religious symbols in French public schools or filing law suits to get their faces covered up on their drivers’ licenses in America.
These hijab-wearing Muslim women expressed no outrage over the brutal murder of Margaret Hassan in Iraq, a British woman who dedicated 30 years of her life to helping Iraqis. How many properly covered up Saudi, gulf state, Egyptian, Syrian or Jordanian women went to Iraq, Iran, Algeria or Sudan, to help their sisters and brothers in Islam as did Margaret Hassan? The answer is practically none. That job was usually left to Westerners who do it out of their Judeo-Christian inspired sense of humanity.
Most Islamic studies professors and Islamist groups in America exercise their freedom of speech given to them by America, but only when speaking against America, Judaism, Christianity, President Bush and Pat Robertson. However, they never dare to criticize their culture of origin and some even still have respect for the tyranny of the old country. They leave the job of ridding the Muslim world of terror to the victims of terror, namely America and Israel. Whenever they criticize the Muslim world it is in the context of blaming America for supporting dictatorships. However, when America attempts to bring democracy and get rid of Arab dictators they turn around and accuse America of occupation or empire building. No matter what America does, they voice criticism. That can only mean they do not seem to be serious about reformation in Muslim countries. They are, however, very serious about embarrassing, criticizing and hurting America.
Many Muslim groups and Middle East studies professors are aligning themselves with the liberal ‘hate America’ crowd in Western academia and media. Three days after the Tsunami in South Asia, I saw an Arab-American leader criticize America’s response as “slow and too little, too late” on CNN. They have the audacity to criticize America and give a free pass to the oil rich Arab countries that should be the first to respond financially to save their poor Muslim brothers and sisters in Indonesia.
Islamism and the old defeated and failed ideology of pan-Arabism is what many Islamic groups in America are advocating. They are silent in the face of Muslim poverty, corruption, neglect of human rights, oppression of women, honor killings and the brutal and unusual punishments such as cutting off limbs, flogging and stoning. They are not using American freedoms as an opportunity to change their countries of origin, but as an opportunity to influence and change America to be like the countries they came from. Their goal is also to keep Muslim-Americans under their control and the control of Muslim world mullahs, sheiks and dictators they should have left behind. How can any one take them seriously when they do not lift a finger to protect human rights in Muslim countries, but are militant in turning Arab-Americans into yet another voting block to influence American politics? They take no stand to protect the life of the Muslim woman being stoned and explain away such atrocities and beheadings while crying ‘profiling’ in America by the FBI.
Wahhabi Islamist groups in the West are dreaming of a day when Sharia Islamic laws that call for stoning women come to America and dominate the whole world. That is why Muslims in the West are not outraged over this picture.
Arab-Americans should reject Islamist groups and become part of the solution and not part of the problem in America. Let the history books say that Arab-Americans were the seed and cause of change in the Middle East. Let us stand behind President Bush in trying to bring about democracy in the Arab world. Let us form active genuine peace groups and reach out to other religions. Let us celebrate the freedoms America has given us by extending our compassion to the victims of terror left behind in our countries of origin. That should be the mission of Arab organizations in America and not the silly anti-American causes they are pursuing with the blessings from the enemies of America.
Arab-Americans should no longer stand silent before acts of terror and beheadings on our fellow brave American men and women in the US armed forces as well. America should never allow the poison of medieval-style justice and morality to penetrate its psyche under the guise of multiculturalism. It is time for America to hold Muslim countries and culture responsible for terrorism. Those countries are waging a two-faced war against the West while hiding behind their terrorists and their sacred veils.
Yes, the silent Muslim majority is the problem. Their silence is empowering not only the terrorists and brutal dictatorships, but all of the cultural, political and social pathologies behind them. Arab- Americans who speak out might be called ‘heroes’ by some. However, speaking out of love and gratitude for America is the duty of all American citizens.
I supose you also believe that tens of thousands turn out because they really love to hear Castro ramble on ?
"And why don’t the real practitioners of the religion of peace condemn the supposed “hijackers” of their religion? Why the deafening silence? "
Gee, could it be that the people in power have no problem cutting off the head of folks that don't agree with them ?
"We KNOW who remained silent in the US when they could have easily come out and condemned the attack. They chose not to, and they are being judged by that silence. "
Lets see, one faction here is upset when they didn't speak out, another faction wants to strip the citizenship from and deport ALL muslims.
On the other thread here a citizen simply wore a headscarf and admitted to going to a religious conference and was singled out by HER government for "special treatment".
Sure, thats really conducive to making you want to poke your head up.
bump
"Why on earth should the rest of us put up with it?"
Well, exactly. We rightfully comdemn and shun Nazism for much less. When is the last time a media pundit or politiican said we had a duty to "understand" Adolph Hoitler's followers?
We outlaw groups which advocate violent overthrow of the government, and justifiably so. The Bill of Rights is not a suicide pact. Yet we are preached about tolerance and acceptance of a group which advocates the violent overthrow of Western Civilization, our government included.
Makes NO sense. None at all. Dressing it in the trappings of some primitive superstition does not confer immunity from conforming to the laws of civilization.
"It's a point of law from Roman times right down to the present day that SILENCE GIVES CONSENT."
Well said, and thanks for the ping.
The Muslims who refuse to speak out against Islamic terror stand with the terrorists in this war and should be treated as such.
These Muslims are not our friends, they are not our allies, they are not the religion of peace. They are our enemies.
Like GWB said, "If you're not with us, you're with the terrorists."
Muslims, you have a choice. If you choose poorly, dont start whining if you're convicted with treason.
"Gee, could it be that the people in power have no problem cutting off the head of folks that don't agree with them ?"
Th ones who live here have no such worry. They are silent because they sympathize with OBL.
If one believes the title of the article is true and also believes the "Muslim minority" (terrorists and their supporters) is a problem, that seems to result in a more condensed statement:
Something about being a Muslim is the problem.
You just put your finger on the evil. Even the members of this cult FEAR the other members. I wonder if they worry that their own children might turn them in to the Islamofascist leaders. history repeats.
Actually what makes me come backto these threads is seeing you use silly arguments like the Miranda warning in a case where all that was being asked for was that a certain group condemn a crime that no one accused them of being directly involved in, but that others in their 'faith' were.
As for popping up, I DO have other things to do even if you don't. Some of us do not go around all day wondering what evil 'plot' the government is hatching to remove our liberties.
When you wish to dicuss an issue on its merits --ping me. That seems unlikely as you seems unwilling to rationally discuss anything, so why bother wasting time even trying. I seem to remember that the previous thread dealt with the CBP having information that they felt warranted checking people out. If she fits the bill of those they need to search---too bad for her. Others have been searched at borders and airports for lesser reasons and they didn't complain.
Your worry about people being beheaded, while that is often true in Iran and Saudi Arabia; What danger is there of that happening HERE in the US? There is nothing to prevent them from speaking out in this country if they wish--remember the First Amendment? Your argument doesn't hold water.
Why don't you go back in your bunker and stew in your The- Constitution-is-in-danger conspiracies.
Only if you're ready to pass out.
ME: "It's a point of law from Roman times right down to the present day that SILENCE GIVES CONSENT."
YOU: "LOL ... "You have the right to remain silent....""
It is at your own ignorance that you laugh... ignorantly. "Silence gives consent" IS a point of law in this nation. The right to remain silent only applies to self-incrimination in questioning and testimony. Keep talking aobut the rules of law, which you do not understand, if you want to keep making a fool of yourself.
My (adult) daughter and I had a conversation about whether or not a Muslim could become preident of the United States. I said no, because a true Muslim could not put his hand on the Bible and swear to uphold a Constitution which prohibits the establishment of A RELIGION. Which is of course their ultimate goal. Were a Muslim to become president, we would no longer be the United States of America under the Constitution.
There's only two things wrong with your theory:
1. The Koran teaches the Muslims it's OK to lie to infidels
2. The Muslim would be a politician, and the Book of Politicians teaches them it's OK to lie to the people.
"in a case where all that was being asked for was that a certain group condemn a crime that no one accused them of being directly involved in, but that others in their 'faith' were. "
Dont back off now - you WERE condemning them for remaining silent, were you not ?
You ARE accusing them of being in agreement with and in support of those actions of others by their silence.
"Silence gives consent" IS a point of law in this nation.
Link please -
Stragely enough, just because you pronounce something ( even twice ) dosen't make it so.
"1. The Koran teaches the Muslims it's OK to lie to infidels"
Taken out of context -
The only passage that seems to apply is one that says it's OK to lie IF it saves you from them harming you.
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